Nobita landed on the cracked asphalt with a thud that echoed across the ruined street. His knees absorbed the shock, dust lifting around him. His small frame trembled, but his eyes remained locked—sharp, focused, glowing faintly gold.
In his right hand was the survival dagger Chris had given earlier.
Cold steel.Compact.Military grade.
It felt heavier than he expected.But… strangely right.
This blade… I will use it to survive.
Helena whispered, "That boy… he's insane…"
But Nobita didn't look back.He couldn't.If he looked back, fear might return.
And he refused to fear ever again.
Ustanak roared and lunged forward.
A full-speed charge.
Legs smashing into the road.Metal arm swinging to crush.Shockwaves rippling.
But Nobita's instincts screamed—
[Danger!]
His body moved before his thoughts.He sidestepped right, sliding across broken asphalt.
The mechanical arm smashed the ground where he stood.
BOOM!
Shards of road exploded upward.
Leon fired immediately.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Helena, get up! We need to keep him distracted!"
Helena forced herself onto one knee, aiming shaky but determined.
Jake dashed forward with a kick to Ustanak's ribs.Sherry unloaded rounds into the creature's joints.
But even with all that…
Ustanak focused on Nobita.
Its single eye glared, recognizing him as a threat.
A child shouldn't be a threat.
That made him even more dangerous.
Leon and Nobita Fight Together
Leon sprinted to Nobita's side, sliding in behind a broken taxi.
"Kid! Listen to me—stay low, stay fast! Ustanak's blind spot is on his left!"
Nobita opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Because the system spoke instead:
[Hint: Target's left side vulnerable.]
Nobita nodded once.
Leon blinked, confused at how quickly the kid understood.
"Alright then… we're doing this together."
Ustanak charged again.
Leon rolled left.
Nobita ran right.
They split perfectly, like trained teammates.
Leon fired at the monster's mechanical leg.
BANG! BANG!
Nobita darted forward, instincts screaming guidance.
[Opportunity!]
He slid under Ustanak's swinging arm, scraping his shoulder hard across the ground—but didn't stop.
He slashed upward with the dagger—
SKRRTT!
A spark exploded as the blade cut through a small exposed pipe.
Ustanak staggered.
The system chimed:
[Precision Strike: +4 XP][Hunter Instinct Lv.2 → Lv.3]
Nobita didn't understand, but his body felt lighter.
Faster.
Sharper.
Leon saw it and muttered under his breath:"…What ARE you, kid…?"
Chris barked orders to the BSAA soldiers:
"Cover the kid! Sherry, Jake—push the monster back! Helena, support fire!"
"On it!" Jake yelled, slamming a metal pole into Ustanak's shoulder.
Sherry shot at the cables near the monster's spine.
"Helena, aim for the gas tubes!"
Helena fired—
CRACK!
A tube burst, spraying coolant onto the street.
Steam covered the battlefield.
For one moment, Ustanak's vision blurred.
Nobita didn't waste the chance.
He dashed through steam like a shadow.
Ustanak swung blindly—
WHOOSH—
Nobita ducked, barely missing decapitation.
His instincts sharpened:
[Critical Opening Detected]
Nobita sprinted toward the monster's leg and stabbed the dagger deep into a weak spot—where flesh met metal.
THUCK!
Ustanak roared violently.
Leon's eyes widened.
"This kid—his movements are too sharp… he fights like someone who's trained for years."
Chris narrowed his eyes."No… he fights like someone who's survived death."
But Nobita wasn't invincible.
Ustanak turned quicker than he expected—
CRACK!
The monster's normal arm backhanded Nobita across the street.
"BOY!!" Leon shouted.
The boy slammed into a wall, coughing blood.
His ribs screamed with pain.
His vision doubled.
His dagger fell.
For a moment, fear tried to crawl back into his heart.
No… I can't… not again…
The system screamed:
[WARNING: Vital damage detected.][ACTIVATING anesthesia.]
Nobita's breathing shook.
Memories flashed:
Leon dying.Helena dying.
The missile exploding.
He clenched his fists.
His body shook—
But he stood again.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Stubbornly.
Jake whispered, "The kid's still standing…?!"
Chris murmured,"That's not normal willpower. That's evolution."
The system voice changed—deeper, colder, awakening something inside:
[Hunter Mode… 20% synced.][Adrenal Surge triggered.]
Nobita's pupils narrowed.
The pain numbed.
His muscles tightened.
He reached down… and picked up his dagger again.
Ustanak roared and charged again.
Nobita didn't retreat.
He ran toward the monster.
Leon fired beside him."Kid, DON'T DO THAT ALONE!"
Nobita didn't answer.
He leapt—
Hunter instincts guiding him.
He grabbed onto Ustanak's arm, climbed like a cat climbing a tree, and plunged the dagger into the shoulder joint.
SKRRAAAK!
Ustanak howled.
Leon seized the opening.
He shot the exposed joint—
BANG! BANG!
Jake attacked with a flying kick.Sherry shot the coolant tank again.Helena provided cover.
For a moment—a brief, insane moment—Nobita, Leon, Jake, Sherry, and Helena fought together perfectly.
Chris watched with disbelief.
"This… is a team."
The monster finally snapped.
Its eye glowed red.Steam erupted from its back.It slammed both arms down—
BOOOOM!
All of them were thrown back.
Nobita rolled, coughing.
Leon shouted, "Everyone, spread out! It's entering berserk mode!"
The system echoed:
[Ustanak: Enrage Phase Initiated][Survival odds: 38%]
Nobita's dagger trembled in his hand.
His legs were shaking.
His lungs burning.
But he did not back down.
Instead… he stepped forward.
Towards the monster.
Again.
Leon's heart dropped.
"Kid… what are you doing…?"
Nobita whispered:
"…I said it before."
He tightened his grip on the dagger.
"I'm not running anymore."
Ustanak charged.
Nobita charged back.
The battlefield shook—
AND THE CHAPTER ENDS.